The number of worldwide private mobile networks that are worth more than €100,000 exceeds 2,000, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA).  Demand is being driven by the growing data, security, digitization and mobility requirements of modern enterprise and government entities. GSA said that at the end of 1Q2026, it had identified 2,003 organizations in 88 countries worldwide that had deployed one or more private mobile networks. The private mobile networks it counted had contract values of more than €100,000 (~$116,000). A further 178 private mobile networks are worth between €50,000 and €100,000, GSA said.

4G-LTE remains the dominant technology, accounting for 1,369 of the customers catalogued by the GSA, but 5G is inching up; 5G is deployed in 974 of the networks, often in conjunction with LTE, but 5G-only networks increased by one percentage point on Q4 2025 to account for 30.3% of customers.  GSA said that 76% of the references are non-public and unique. Some industries are cagier than others– in sectors like military and defense, maritime, and the power plants space more than 80% of references are not in the public domain.

Image Source: GSA

Although the proportion of 5G only deployments makes up a significant number of references (30.3%), it must be noted that this number skews toward long-term trials and deployments within educational and test-bed or validation facilities, with a limited number running real operation in industrial situations.

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The top five markets are currently the US, Germany, the UK, China and Japan, but those markets were exceeded in growth terms in the first quarter of 2026 by another market in the top 10; Canada saw the number of customers of private mobile networks grow by 5% in Q1. The UK had the next-highest growth rate at 4%, followed by the US at 2% and Germany at 1%.

China is often reported to have a high number of private networks at more than 40,000, the GSA said. But it believes that many of those networks actually use public mobile networks and therefore do not meet its definition for inclusion in its report.

“As the report clearly shows, a large number and varied range of market participants are actively engaged in developing and delivering solutions for private mobile networks,” said GSA president Joe Barrett, in a statement accompanying the group’s latest Private Mobile Networks publication.

“With so much opportunity, and so many regulators planning initiatives to make spectrum available for LTE and 5G private usage, we expect significant market developments over the next couple of years,” Barrett said. Naturally, there is a strong correlation between the number of private mobile networks in a country and the availability of dedicated spectrum there. In addition, private mobile network deployments are mainly in high-income and upper-middle-income countries, according to the GSA.

The GSA did not specifically mention the high-income Middle Eastern markets in its report summary, but it’s probably safe to assume that countries like Oman will help to drive growth going forward.  Port of Salalah in the south of Oman announced the launch of the country’s first fully managed private 5G network in partnership with incumbent telecoms operator Omantel. The network will support automation and accelerate the port’s digital transformation, boosting the efficiency of its logistics operations, it said. And both parties indicated that they expect the deal to kick-start the wider use of private enterprise 5G networks in Oman, looking specifically at ports, logistics and industry.

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Ericsson Private 5G is now available through Verizon Business beyond U.S. borders. It’s targeted at global enterprises already using Ericsson technology in Verizon Business Private 5G Networks in the U.S., allowing them to extend it to international campuses.  It offers a dual mode 4G and 5G network with global spectrum support

“Verizon Business can offer more optionality and flexibility to its private wireless customers who operate across international borders,” states the press release.

Hannes Ekström, Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Unit Verizon, Ericsson Americas, says: “Enterprises are rapidly embracing digital transformation, leveraging secure and high-performing private 5G networks as a key driver of innovation and efficiency. Our multinational customers in the U.S. have already unlocked significant growth through 5G-enabled private networks, and now they seek to replicate this success globally.”

“Through our collaboration with Verizon, we are expanding the reach of our Ericsson Private 5G solution to support Verizon Business’s international deployments, enabling seamless global operations. By simplifying 5G adoption and enhancing reliability, low latency, and security, we are empowering industries to harness next-generation connectivity and drive innovation on a global scale.”  

“Verizon Business is proud of our expanding private wireless portfolio, and we’re committed to providing the best possible private wireless experience to our customers around the world,” said Robb Juliano, Vice President of 5G Acceleration, Verizon Business. “By extending the availability of Ericsson Private 5G outside of the U.S., we’re offering enterprises more flexibility in driving innovation, enhancing security, and optimizing operations with private wireless networks on a global scale.”

References:

https://gsacom.com/technology/private-mobile-networks/

https://gsacom.com/paper/private-mobile-networks-june-2026/

https://www.telecoms.com/5g-6g/private-mobile-networks-exceed-2-000-worldwide

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2026/6/ericsson-private-5g-for-verizon-business

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